II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5134 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act to expand eligibility for individual and public assistance to certain 

areas and to include cumulative damage from multiple natural catastrophes in the definition of major disaster, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 

Ms. WARREN (for herself and Mr. CRUZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to expand eligibility for individual 

and public assistance to certain areas and to include 

cumulative damage from multiple natural catastrophes 

in the definition of major disaster, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Regional Impact of 

5 Disasters and Emergencies Relief Act’’ or the ‘‘RIDER 

6 Act’’. 


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•S 5134 IS

1 SEC. 2. CONTIGUOUS AREA. 

2 Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

3 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) is 

4 amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as 

6 subsections (c) and (d), respectively; and 

7 (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(b) CONTIGUOUS AREA.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any area under the juris11 diction of a State, local government, or Indian tribal 

12 government, including an area located in a State for 

13 which the President did not declare a major disaster, 

14 that is contiguous to an area that the President des15 ignates as eligible for any form of covered assistance 

16 as a result of a major disaster (in this paragraph re17 ferred to as the ‘eligible area’) may be designated by 

18 the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man19 agement Agency as being eligible for any form of 

20 covered assistance for which the eligible area is eligi21 ble with respect to such disaster. 

22 ‘‘(2) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 

23 ‘covered assistance’ means— 

24 ‘‘(A) hazard mitigation assistance provided 

25 under section 404; 


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•S 5134 IS

1 ‘‘(B) any assistance provided to an indi2 vidual or household under sections 408, 410, 

3 415, 416, or 426; and 

4 ‘‘(C) any public assistance provided under 

5 sections 403, 406, or 407.’’. 

6 SEC. 3. CUMULATIVE DAMAGE. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 102(2) of the Robert T. 

8 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

9 (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)) is amended— 

10 (1) by striking ‘‘ ‘Major disaster’ means’’ and 

11 inserting the following: 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘major dis13 aster’ means’’; and 

14 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘major dis16 aster’ includes a series of 2 or more natural ca17 tastrophes, fires, floods, or explosions described 

18 in subparagraph (A)— 

19 ‘‘(i) with respect to each of which the 

20 Governor of the affected State requested 

21 that the President declare that a major 

22 disaster exists under section 401(a); 

23 ‘‘(ii) that occurred during a 12-month 

24 period; and 


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•S 5134 IS

1 ‘‘(iii) that individually do not cause 

2 damage of sufficient severity and mag3 nitude to warrant major disaster assistance 

4 under this Act, but that, in the determina5 tion of the President, cumulatively causes 

6 damage of sufficient severity and mag7 nitude to warrant such assistance.’’. 

8 SEC. 4. INTERIM GUIDANCE. 

9 Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 

10 of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 

11 Management Agency shall issue interim guidance to imple12 ment the amendments made by sections 2 and 3. 

13 SEC. 5. RULEMAKING. 

14 Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 

15 of this Act, the President, acting through the Adminis16 trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

17 shall issue such rules and regulations as are necessary 

18 to— 

19 (1) ensure compliance with section 1232 of the 

20 FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 5170 

21 note); and 

22 (2) implement the amendments made by sec23 tions 2 and 3. 

Æ 


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